Massive Cyberattack on Supermarket Fridges Triggers Spoilage and Fires in France

The Attack

A major cyberattack hit hundreds of supermarkets across France on Monday, disabling refrigeration systems and raising temperatures inside fridges and freezers as high as 50 degrees Celsius. Hackers remotely triggered forced defrosting in stores, spoiling fresh and frozen products and causing fires at several locations.

Impact on Retailers

Intermarche reported that at least 300 of its shops or Netto brand outlets were targeted, while Cooperative U confirmed over 100 affected stores and Carrefour stated that 80 supermarkets were hit. Monoprix reported that about 5 percent of its 490 stores were impacted, and E. Leclerc and several other chains also confirmed they were targeted. Intermarche CEO Thierry Cotillard estimated nationwide losses of tens of millions of euros in a single day.

Investigation and Response

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ordered the National Cybersecurity Agency, ANSSI, to investigate the large-scale incident. A source close to Lecornu stated that ANSSI identified a vulnerability in software from Danish company Danfoss. Danfoss said the affected units ran outdated firmware and that it had long advised clients to keep systems updated. Felix Aime, an analyst at Sekoia, told Reuters that Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany, and Belgium were also affected, and CBS News noted Dutch operator Ahold Delhaize also faced a security issue.

Context

Supermarket refrigeration units are often managed by connected control panels that allow remote access over the internet for maintenance companies. Investigators are looking into software vulnerabilities in these connected industrial control systems as cyberattacks increasingly target critical supply chain infrastructure.